Luggage member

ABSTRACT

LUGGAGE MEMBER FORMED OF TWO ENGAGEABLE SECTIONS WITH LATCHES MOUNTED ON THE TOP WALL OF ONE SECTION AND ENGAGING THE OTHER SECTION. THE STRAP IS MOUNTED ON THE LATCH IN SUCH A MANNER THAT LIFTING A FREE END OF THE STRAP RELEASES THE LATCH. THE FREE END IS MOUNTED EITHER ON THE SAME WALL OR ON AN ANGULARLY ADJACENT SIDE WALL, AND THE IPPOSITE END OF THE LATCH IS FIXED TO THE TOP OR SIDE WALL.

D. S. MARRION LUGGAGE MEMBER Sept. 20, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 12. 1969 INVENTOR DENNIS S. MARRION ML M ATTORNEY P 20, 1971 D. s. MARRION 3,605,961

LUGGAGE MEMBER Filed Aug. 12, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 22 ,2 27 I? F lG-4 f 22 zr Fl '5 /2 f: 6

WA 0 1 w INVENTOR DENNIS S. MARRION m W L.

A TTOR/VE Y United States Patent O 3,605,961 LUGGAGE MEMBER Dennis S. Marrion, Chester, Va., assignor t Seward Luggage Manufacturing Company, Inc., Petersburg, Va. Filed Aug. 12, 1969, Ser. No. 849,419 Int. Cl. A45c 13/10 US. Cl. 190-41R 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Luggage member formed of two engageable sections with latches mounted on the top wall of one section and en gaging the other section. The strap is mounted on the latch in such a manner that lifting a free end of the strap releases the latch. The free end is mounted either on the same wall or on an angularly adjacent side wall, and the opposite end of the latch is fixed to the top or side wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The luggage member of the type described herein may be either a suitcase or a trunk, formed of two separate sections which may be interengaged to form a closed member, or pulled apart for opening. United States Pat. No. 3,161,271 illustrates a suitcase of this general type, in which the suitcase has locks on the upper walls which are concealed by straps extending over these locks and around the side, these straps being releasable for access to the locks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a luggage member consisting of two mutually engageable sections as generally illustrated in the above-referenced patent, but having an entirely different function and purpose. In the present luggage member the latches which interlock the two sections are hidden, these latches being flush mounted on the upper wall of one section with the straps extending over and concealing these latches. At the same time the straps have an additional function; when the free end is released the latch is activated so that the suitcase may then be opened. While the use of strap-actuated latches is referred to in United States Pat. No. 773,948, the present construction is considerably different, as will be described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a principal form of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the luggage member taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, illustrating one of the latches in closed position.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating the latch in an opened position.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary views taken along lines 44 and 5-5 of FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views similar to FIG. 3 illustrating additional forms of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates a luggage member 11 which consists of two sections which are hinged together at the bottom and adapted to be closed together at the top. When closed the sections form a top wall 12, a bottom wall 13, side Walls 14 and 15, and side panels 16 and 17. Mounted on the main section is a handle 18 which is secured to the wall by means of loops 19 and 20. A lock 21 is also mounted in such a manner that it secures both sections to each other when in locked position, but may be released to free the two sections. Also mounted on the main section are two straps 22 and 24 which extend along the top wall and around to the side wall. Throughout the description, only the strap 22 will be referred to, it being understood that it is identical to but opposite the strap 24. The strap 22 is mounted to the side wall by means of a rivet 23 and is releasably secured to the top wall by means of a snap fastener 25, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This snap fastener is a portion of the strap and is snapped to a button 26 which is mounted on the top wall. The strap 22 is secured intermediate the fixed n'vet 23 and the releasable snap 25 to a member 27 by means of a rivet 32, which is movable with the strap. This member 27 is mounted in the manner of a hinge at point 28 to the top wall, and to it is secured a prong 29 which extends through an opening in the top wall. Mounted just below the top wall is a plate 30 which also has an opening through which the prong 29 may extend.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, when the strap is secured to the top wall, the member 27 is flush with the top wall and the prong 29 extends through the top wall and through the opening in the plate 30. At the same time, the prong extends through an opening in a second plate 31 which is secured to the other section of the luggage member and is intermediate the plate 30 and the wall 12. This secures the luggage member against opening even if the lock 21 is actuated to free a localized portion of the sections. When it is desired to free the latch the strap 22 is pulled up at its free end by releasing fastener 25 from its button 26. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, this simultaneously pulls up the member 27 and the prong 29 so that the prong is above the openings in the plates 30 and 31. The section of the luggage member which includes the side wall 16 is now free to move to the right as shown in FIG. 5. It is thus obvious that a simple motion of freeing the straps actuates the latches and permits the suitcase to be readily opened. When it is desired to close the luggage member, the two sections are pushed together again, the straps are pressed down, and the fastener 25 is re-engaged with the bottom 26, a corresponding action taking place with strap 24.

MODIFICATIONS FIG. 6 illustrates a modified form of the invention in which a luggage member 41 includes a top wall 42, a side wall 43, and a strap 44. This form of the invention only differs from the preceding form in that the strap does not extend to the side wall but instead is secured to the top wall by means of a snap fastener 45 which mates with a button 46. The action of this latch is the same in that the prong 47 is secured to a member 48 that is secured to the strap 44, the prong extending through the plate 49. By sliding a plate attached to the mating section, similar to the plate 31 of the principal form of the invention, the same latching operation is accomplished. Although this configuration illustrates the use of a snap fastener, it may be possible to eliminate the fastener since the member 48 is rigid and the strap 44 is comparatively short.

A. further modification is illustrated in FIG. 7 in which the luggage member 51 consists of a top Wall 52, a side wall 53, and a strap 54. In this form of the invention, the strap is fixedly secured to the top wall near the handle and extends around to the side wall where it is removably secured to the side wall by means of a snap 55 which meets with a button 56. As in the other forms of the invention, a member 58 is secured to the strap to which is secured a prong 57 extending into the opening of plate 59. In this form of the invention, therefore, the strap 54 is released at the side wall instead of along the top wall as in the other two forms of the invention, but the latching operation is exactly the same as in the other forms of the invention. It should be understood that in both of these modifications the straps are duplicated by opposite straps as in the principal form of the invention.

Further modifications are also contemplated within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A luggage member comprising a pair of separate mutually engageable sections, each section having top and bottom walls, right angularly adjacent side walls, and a side panel; said bottom Walls hinged together; a latch mounted on the top Wall of one of said sections and engaging the top Wall of the other of said sections; and a strap mounted on said latch and releasably secured to a wall of the same section to cause said latch to selectively interengage and disengage with said other section and thereby open and close said member at the top thereof.

2. The member of claim 1 in which said latch is mounted on, and said strap is releasably secured to, the same wall.

3. The member of claim 1 in which said strap is releasably secured to a wall which is adjacent to the wall on 20 which said latch is mounted.

4. The member of claim 1 in which said strap is further mounted on a wall of the same section.

4 5. The member of claim 1 in which said strap is further mounted on a side wall and extends over said latch and is releasably secured to said top wall.

6. The member of claim 1 in which said strap is further mounted on said top wall and extends over said latch and is releasably secured to an adjacent side wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 943,753 12/1909 Ludescher 19()41 1) 1,929,524 10/1933 Stelljes 190-41(l) 2,002,638 5/1935 Lee 19041(2) 3,141,536 7/1964 Fulton 19041(Z) 3,161,271 12/1964 ONeil 19061X 3,330,389 7/1967 Kaplan 19041(l)X DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 292-204 

